Includes bibliographical references (pages 151-166) and index.
part 1. The early history of jails. Gaols in England ; Banishment ; The first American jails -- part 2. The nation expands into territorial Kansas. The Prison City ; First territorial jail? ; Constable James Butler Hickok -- part 3. An invitaiton to violence. The great political prison home at Lecompton ; The iron jail of Lawrence City ; Mobocracy -- part 4. Expanding jails across the Kansas frontier. Fortified lockups ; Cowtown jails ; The Squirrel Cage of Wichita ; The steel cage builders -- part 5. Jail inspection and reform. Expanding social control.
"Gunslingers, gamblers and outlaws vastly outnumbered sheriffs and marshals in the cattle towns of the Kansas frontier. Famous lawmen, such as Charlie Bassett, Wild Bill Hickok and Tom Smith, kept the peace by sheer force of personality and the integrity of the local lockup. The story of the state's settlement can be tracked in the fascinating development of these bastions of prairie justice. Makeshift jails of earlier times were replaced by limestone, brick and concrete structures with iron cells and elaborate locking systems. From the squirrel cage of Wichita to the iron jail of Lawrence City, tour these early Kansas prisons with author Gerald Bayens"--Amazon.